Apparatus for insulating electric conductors



2 Sheets-Sheet l i "k V P5X? l egch, fl w Sept; 22, 1925. v P L KEEUCH RPPAkATUS FOR INSULATING ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS Filed may 1925 His a Hz-borneg F. L. Kama APPARATUS FOR INSULATING ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS;

Filed Ma 24, 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PALE i K gich,

bH His aq-b -torneg- Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

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UNITED s ratus PATENT orator..

PAUL Ii. KELGH, O

PITTSIEIELD, MASS ennsnm'rs, ASSIGNOB- T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A ooaroaarion or new YORK.

APPARATUS 30R INSULATING ELEGTRIC CONDUCTORS.

Application filed May 24, 1923. Serial No. 641,251.

To all "207102;? it ma e concur/2 Be it known that 1, PAUL L. Kit-Lon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittslield, in the county of Berkshire, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Insulating Electric Conductors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for insulating electric conductors, and has for its object the provision ofsimple, reliable, and efficient apparatus for applying a fibrous insulating covering to electrical conductors.

More specifically my invention relates to apparatus for applying a covering formed from fibrous material in the loose untwisted form as distinguished from the twisted strand form in which the material is commonly applied to conductors. By thus applying the untwisted material directly to the conductor without going through the intermediate step of twisting it into strands, the cost of the covering obviously may be appreciably reduced. For this reason the use of the untwisted material in insulating electric conductors is very desirable.

In carrying out my invention 1 apply the fibrous material in the form of a loose untwisted strand known as a sliver. This 0 sliver is wound spirally on the conductor and ispulled out to some extent as it is being wound on through the agency of positive feeding mechanism to give the desired thickness of. covering. The covering thus formed is finally impregnated with a sui able bondingicompound.

For a better understanding of my invention reference should be had to the accent panying drawing in which Fig. 1 is an elevation view partially in section of apparatus for insulating electric contactors embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of 1, partially in section; Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views showing details of the winding apparatus; while Figs. 5. 6 are fragmentary views in elevation and Fig. 7 a plan view showing a modified form of feeding means...

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the draw ing, the apparatus for winding asliver of cotton or other fibrous material on an electric conductor comprises in one form of my invention an upright standard or support 10 provided with a laterally extending bracket 11 carrying a support or carrier 12 tor.

for the fibrous material or sliver 13 to be wound on the conductor, and also feeding means for the material. (he carrier 12 is provided with a central aperture 12 (Fig. through which the electric conductor 14 is passed in an upward direction, the carrier being rotated simultaneously therewith so as to wind the sliver 13 spirally on the conductor.

The conductor 14 is supplied from a reel 15 provided with suitable tensioning means for maintaining the conductor taut. From the reel 15'the conductor passes under an idler pulley or wheel 16, and thence upward through the aperture 12 in the carrier 12, where it is given the covering of the untwisted cotton. The conductor then contlnucs upward passing over and two or three times around a drum 17, thence downward through a receptacle 18 containing a suitable bonding and insulating material, such as asphaltum, with which the fabric covering is thoroughly saturated. In the bottom of'the receptacle 18 is a suitable wiper, such as a resilient die made, for example, of rubber, which removes the excess asphalt from the covering as the conductor is drawn therethrough and also compacts the fibers. After passing through receptacle 18, the conductor is wound up on a reel 19 and allowed to dry.

The apparatus is driven in any suitable manner, for example by means of an electric motor 20. This electric motor is connected to drive an upwardly extending shaft 21 through a suitable friction planetary gear consisting of a friction disc 22 secured to lower end of shaft 21 and cooperating with a friction wheel 23 on the shaft of the mo- On the upper end of shaft. 21 is a worm 24 which cooperates with the worm gear 25 secured to a counter-shaft 26 on the opposite end of which is a small spur gear 27. The spur gear 27 meshes with a large gear 28 which is secured to a shaft 29 carrying on one, end the drum 17 and on its other end a second pulley 30. The pulley 30 is operatively connected through a belt 31 to pulley 32 secured to shaft 33 carrying the reel 19 llhrough the driving connections just described the electric motor causes the conductor 1a to be drawn from the reel 15, passed through the apparatus where it is given an insulating covering, and then wound up on the reel 19. The drum 17,

around which the conductor is wound several times, is conical and acts as a capstan exerting a tractive effort on the conductor whereby it is drawn from reel 15. By reason of its cone shaped surface the turns of the conductor wound thereon gradually slip sideways toward the smaller end in a well known manner.

The carrier 12 is rotated, so as to wind the sliver 13 on the conductor from shaft 21 through a suitable driving connection such as a chain which cooperates with a sprocket wheel 36 on shaft 21 and with a sprocket wheel 37 secured to the lower end of an upright tubular driving shaft or sleeve 38 concentric with aperture 12, to the upper end of which the carrier is secured. A suitable bearing is provided in the end of bracket 11 for the shaft 38. Secured .to bracket 11 concentric with the sleeve 38 is a stationary worm 39 which, as the carrier is rotated, forms a driving means for positive feeding mechanism supplying the sliver 13 to the conductor.

The fabric sliver is positively fed to the conductor as the carrier is rotated by means of two feed rollers 40 and 41 mounted on the carrier. These feed rolls are geared together at their lower ends and are operatively connected through an idler gear 42 (Fig. 3) gear 43 secured to the upper end of a vertical counter shaft having on its lower end a. worm 44 which cooperates with a worm gear on a horizontally extending shaft 45, through gear 46 carried by shaft 45, gear 47 and shaft 48 to a worm gear 49 which meshes with the worm 39. As the carrier is rotated, gear 49 due to its engagement with worm 39 is caused to rotate and will drive through the operating connection described, the two feed rollers 40 and 41. It will be understood that the countershafts and 48 and the gearing forming the operating connections between the feed rolls and worm 39 are all supported by the carrier. Gears 42 and .43 are preferably located on top of the carrier and are connected through the vertical countershaft carrying gears 43 and 44 to the remainder ,of the mechanism which is located below the carrier.

Since the feed rollers are at a deft nite speed determined bvthejspeed ratio of their connection with the stationary driving worm 39, the sliver is thus 't'ed at a definite rate to the conductor. This rate is ordinarily not as fast as the sliver would normally be wound on .the conductor, and the sliver is consequently pulled out somewhat. The-thickness of the covering is thus lessthan would be'the case if the sliver were fed as fast as it would normally be wound on the conductor, that is, if it were wound on full thickness. By varying the speed of the feed rolls, the extent to which;

the sliver is pulled out can be varied and hence the thickness of the covering varied. The speed of the feed rollers may be varied as desired by changing gears 46 and 47 and providing gears having such a speed ratio that the rollers will be driven at a speed to give the desired thickness of covering. It will be observed that the slower the speed of the feed rollers the thinner the covering. The maximum thickness of covering is obviously that obtained by feeding the sliver at such speed that it is wound on the conductor without being pulled out. The sliver may be mounted or coiled on the carrier 12 is any suitable manner to allow it to feed freely to the feed rollers.

. As shown, the sliver is coiled in a container 50 secured to the carrier. From the coil the sliver passes through a tubular guide 51, secured to the carrier, which directs it to the feed rollers.

In order to provide forbetter balance of the rotating carrier with its load of cotton covering material and thereby reduce vibration, the sliver may be mounted on. the carrier in the manner shown in Figs. 4 to :7 inclusive. This method of mounting the sliver forms no part of my invention, however. As shown in Fig. 7, the

sliver 13 may be coiled in such manner:

that each .turn or convolution has the same length regardless of the size of the coil. This coil is mounted flat on the carrier and concentric with the axis of the carrier. It

is preferably placed in an annular con- 1,

tainer 52 having an outside diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the carrier and provided on its bottom with a flange 52 which fits over the carrier whereby the container is held concentric with the carrier, but is rotatable with relation thereto. As the sliver is wound on the conductor, the container 52. is rotated with relation to the carrier so as to feed thesliver to the guide 51. To effect this, the container is provided at the bottom with an internal gear 54 which cooperates with a spur gear 55 (Fig. 4) mounted on the carrier. Cooperating with gear 55 is a spur gear 56 mounted on a vertical countel-shaft which passes downward through the carrier and is provided on its lower end with a worm 58 meshing with a worm ear 59 secured to ahorizont-al counterh s shaft 60. ,CountershaftfiO is geared through sliver should break or a gap be left between the turns. In such event the contacts engage with the conductor and are short circuited thereby so as to close an electric circuit for a solenoid 68 which picks up its armature 69 (F 2). The armature (it) engages a handle 70 tilting it in a clockwise direction. Handle 70 is connected by means of a link 71 with a toggle joint 72 which normally acts on a friction clutch 73 interposed between the friction disc 22 and shaft 21 so as to hold the faces of the clutch in engagement whereby the driving connection is maintained between disc 22 and shaft 21. When handle 70 is tilted to the right, however, the toggle joint is operated or broken so as to release clutch 73 and disconnect shaft 21 from the friction wheel 22, whereby the mechanism is stopped. The handle 70 may be operated automatically by solenoid 68, as previously described, or it may be operated manually in case it is desired to stop the apparatus quickly for any reason whatever.

The ratio of the driving connections of the motor 20 may be varied so as to regulate the speed of the apparatus by shifting the friction gear 23 with relation to planetary gear 22. This may be accomplished by means of a handle 74 secured to an arm 75 which is connected through a lever arm 7 6 to the gear 23. The position of gear 23, which is slidably mounted on the driving motor shaft can thus be adjusted as desired. Notches 77 are provided on arm 7 5 which cooperate with a stop 78 whereby the gear 23 can be secured in any adjusted position.

Preferably the receptacle 18 for the as phaltum bonding and insulating material is mounted on a horizontal guide shaft 80 which extends parallel with and above the shaft 33 carrying the reel 19. The receptacle 18 is mounted on a slider 81 which moves longitudinally of guide 80. As shown, the slider 81 is provided with two laterally extending arms 82 and 83 on which the receptacle 18 is mounted. A guide 84 is provided parallel with guide 80 cooperating with which is an arm 85 on slider 81 whereby the slider 81 is prevented from rotating on the guide 80. The guide 80 is provided with right and left hand threads 86 having a pitch corresponding with the diameter of the conductor 14. It is rotated at a suitable speed by the electric motor through a chain 87 connecting it with the shaft of the motor. The slider 81 is provided with suitable means traveling in the right and left hand threads on guide 80 whereby as shaft 80 is rotated the slider 81 is caused to move back and forth from one extremity to the other of the shaft in a well.

known manner. In this manner the conductor .14 after it leaves the container 18 is automatically wound in layers on the reel 19.

A sultable starting switch 88 1s provided for the electric motor 20. This switch is operated by a handle 89 acting as a bell crank and operatively connected to the switch by a link 90.

Not only is the excess asphaltum removed by passing the conductor through the die in the bottom of receptacle 18 but due to the pressure exerted by the die the fibres of the covering are compacted. This resilient wiper has no tendency to displace or disturb the covering as the conductor is pulled therethrough.

As thus constructed and arranged the operation of my invention is as follows: Upon starting the apparatus the container 50 is filled with a supply of the cotton sliver, The conductor 14 is passed through the apparatus and its end secured to reel 19. The winding of the sliver in the conductor is then suitably started and the electric driving motor 2O started by means of handle 89, after which the fabric covering is automatically applied to the conductor as it is fed into the apparatus. In passing through the receptacle 18 the fabric is thoroughly saturated With the asphaltum or other binding material. The excess asphaltum is removed by the wiper at the bottom of receptacle 18 so that the covering has a fairly dry appear ance and can be immediately wound up on the reel 19 and allowed to dry.

While I have described my invention as embodied in concrete form and as operating in a specific manner in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, it should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto, since various modifications thereof will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. Apparatus for applying an insulating covering to electric conductors formed from a strand of untwisted fibrous material, comprising a rotatably mounted carrier for the material. a stationary worm having a common axis with such carrier, feed rollers for said material mounted on said carrier and operatively connected to said Worm so as to be rotated to feed the n'iaterial to the conductor upon rotation of said carrier, means for passing the conductor axially of said can rier, and means for rotating said carrier whereby the material is wound spirally on the conductor.

2. Apparatus for applying an insulating covering to electric conductors formed from a strand of untW-isted fibrous material, comprising a rotatably mounted carrier for the material, means for rotating said carrier, means for passing the conductor axially of said carrier, a stationary Worm having a common axis with said carrier, feed rollers for said material mounted in said carrier, and a driving connection between said rollers and said Worm so arranged that when said carrier is rotated said rollers are driven to feed the material to said conductor at a 10 rate less than the material would normally be Wound on the conductor so that the material is pulled out and the thickness of the covering thereby reduced. I

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of May, 1923.

PAUL KELon. 

